1. Contracts: Before, there were no contracts. You signed up or you didn’t. When it’s the only game in town, you have to play by their rules. Nowadays, you’ll see these ultra-fabulous rates bandied about but it’s only by carefully scrutinizing the fine print that you’ll discover those wonderful rates come with a one-year lock-down or other catches.
Texas Power Agents: For $99 a year, Texas Power Agents will evaluate your current contract terms, access your historical usage, and determine the best plan for you going forward. If you are currently in a contract with an early termination fee, they can calculate if it is best for you to cancel now or stay until the contract is finished before securing a better deal. More info
The cheapest rates are going to have shorter contract terms. For instance, a 3 month term is cheaper than a 6 month term and a 6 month term is cheaper than a 12-14 month term. So if you are able to remember to call before your contract expires (they will notify via mail you that your contract is about to expire), then the 3 or 6-month term is your best bet. If you don't call to renew/cancel, you will be charged a much higher variable rate on a month-to-month basis. If this is you, sign for a 12-month contract term with the cheapest rate.
If you think you have to pay the rates your current electricity provider charges, we have good news. The state of Texas allows you to choose which electricity provider you use. This means you can select a provider that has the cheapest Texas electric rates in your area and the best plan for your needs, whether you need a better deal for your residence, your business, or both. Thousands of consumers and businesses that have used our electricity rate comparison process agree that, when shopping for commercial electricity or residential electricity rates and plans, Vault Electricity is the one-stop source for the best options from top electric providers.

Consumers were promised cheaper power when Texas deregulated its electricity markets in 2002 at the urging of big industrial users and power companies. Average retail prices have declined by more than 60 percent since 2001, although much of that decline is due to the plunge in natural gas prices that followed advances in shale drilling and consequently wholesale power prices. Proponents of deregulation argue that they still have choices that can save them money.

If you’re looking for a new electricity deal, you’re not alone: 319,000 electricity customers switched energy supplier during January 2018, according to OFGEM*. Shopping around for the best electricity deal is simpler than you might think – but there are bound to be a few questions. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about comparing electricity deals.
Consumers were promised cheaper power when Texas deregulated its electricity markets in 2002 at the urging of big industrial users and power companies. Average retail prices have declined by more than 60 percent since 2001, although much of that decline is due to the plunge in natural gas prices that followed advances in shale drilling and consequently wholesale power prices. Proponents of deregulation argue that they still have choices that can save them money.
Since 2002, Amigo Energy has been one of the best electric companies in Texas. Not only that, but more recently we’ve received far fewer Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC) complaints than most other large residential electricity providers across the state.2 In fact, our customer service gets even better over the phone because our call-in customers have yet to file a PUC complaint this year.3 This ain’t our first rodeo—with over 15 years of experience and a track record of reliable service, you can trust Amigo Energy as your retail electricity provider.
“The whole business model of the industry is to get people in on the promotional rates and then jack up their rate when the promotional rates end,” said Trent Crow, a former JP Morgan energy trader and founder of Real Simple Energy, a website that helps consumers find low-cost electricity plans. “I don’t think people realize how much they are overpaying.”
Gone are the days when you had to contact electric companies to discover their rates, and negotiate a better deal on your own. Today, Vault Electricity does the work for you, handling the entire process of finding the best Texas electricity rates and plans from providers that have a pedigree of business stability, customer service, eco-friendliness, and financial transparency. This allows you to shop for electricity in just a few minutes, right from your computer.
Instead of calling each company in turn and having to go through the whole credit application process with each inquiry dragging your credit score and your spirits ever lower, visit ComparePower. Only the REPs active in your area will be shown and you have access to full disclosure – all the FAQs and all the fine print. This allows you to create a short list of companies that you can then approach with your application and, if needed, letter of guarantee already in hand. It’s a more dignified way to get the lights turned on.
Energy sellers must provide collateral to ERCOT to cover expected future costs of buying wholesale electricity and if the companies don’t have enough capital, they get shut down. Breeze Energy, a Dallas-based electricity retailer that sold wind-energy plans to 9,800 customers including many in the Houston area, got caught in that financial squeeze when it defaulted on its collateral obligations.
In deregulated states, electricity providers simply can't do business like that because consumers like you are demanding energy from renewable sources. Threats of global warming are too terrible to be irresponsible with our energy sources anymore. As a result, each electric company is pushing forward to find renewable energy sources that are cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable than older forms of energy.
Electric bills for customers in the Houston area can more than double in summer months, mainly because air conditioning. Not coincidentally, electric rates also rise in the summer months because of this increase in demand. The most dramatic rate increases occur in month-to-month plans, but electric rates do increase across the board for all fixed-rate contract lengths.

Canadian electricity is cheap at 10 US cents per kilowatt hour, which is reflected in their high average electricity usage. US electricity prices at 0.12 $/kWh are also quite cheap internationally. In India and China they are very cheap. The UK is in the middle at 20 cents. It’s relatively expensive globally but not too bad for Europe, where most countries pay a high share of tax on their power.

Not only does Amigo Energy feature useful resources on our blog, but we have the right technology to help you track your residential electricity usage and take actions that may help with energy savings. We offer the latest technology (phone apps, smart thermostats, and even smart sprinklers) so you can worry less about your electric bill and focus on what really matters in life.
With over 2.3 million residents, Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth most populated in the United States. Encompassing over six hundred square miles, Houston stands as the fifth most popular metropolitan area in the country and gets its name from the commander who won Texas’ independence from Mexico in 1836. The city lies in the southeastern portion of the state within a deregulated Electricity market and as such, allows residents to select an energy provider from the various service companies that serve the state.